BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

02/08/2007

Belarusian president calls for tighter restrictions on Internet

MINSK, Belarus (AP) - Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday ordered his government to tighten restrictions on Internet usage and said the ex-Soviet nation should use China as a model.

Use of the Internet is already restricted in Belarus: people must present identification documents to use Internet cafes, and Internet access for offices and private users is controlled by a state monopoly.

However, Lukashenko told a gathering of Belarusian officials that these measures were not sufficient.

"If we read what is posted there, we will see that it serves as a platform not only for the opposition, but for voices and nations that are hostile to us," Lukashenko said. "We must end this anarchy on Internet.

He gave no indication, however, of what new restrictions he wanted to impose.

Lukashenko, dubbed Europe's last dictator by Western governments, has ruled Belarus since 1994, quashing dissent, closing down opposition media and cracking down on private business. The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on him and on top members of his government.

said Zhanna Litvina, the president of the Belarusian Journalist Association.

Source:

http://www.pr-inside.com/belarusian-president-calls-for-tighter-restriction-r193372.htm

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